Shoe stretcher



H. WEINSTEIN SHOE STRETCHER Filed Feb. 27, 1934 INVENTOR W6 1);

was

ATT RNEY Dec. 3, 1935.

Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES SHOE STRETCHER Himon Weinstein,Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Tillie Berman, Rochester, N. Y.

Application February 27, 1934, Serial No."713,14.2

Claims.

The object of this invention is .to provide a shoe stretcher that isadjustable to stretch the instep of a shoe, and is also adapted tostretch the strap of a ladys shoe.

Another object of the invention isto provide an adjusting device that isadjustable forward and back for the purpose of securing the desiredstretching effect.

These and other objects of the invention will 1 be illustrated in thedrawing, described in the specificationand pointed out in the claims atthe end thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the shoe stretcher, showing thestretcher in collapsed position.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the stretcher, showing thestretcher extended by a forward movement of the cam.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the stretcher extended by the backwardmovement of the cam.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a modified form of the stretcher that isadapted to stretch the shoe lengthwise.

In the drawing like reference numerals indicate like parts.

In the drawing reference numeral l indicates the bottom portion of thelast of the stretcher which is cut away at the top. To this last ishinged the section 2, and to the section 2 is hinged the section 3. Thethree portions together constitute a complete last.

The three portions of the last are cut away to form a recess 5 havingparallel vertical walls.

The bottom portion of the last is cut away at the rear to receive ametal sleeve 5, which is threaded with a female thread. In this sleeveworks a threaded stem 6, on the forward end of which is swiveled a cam Ihaving two parallel sides that stand in an upright position. These sidesengage with the parallel sides in the recess 5 which hold the camagainst turning. The forward end of the screw 8 makes a swivelconnection with the cam l as indicated at 8, so that the turning of thescrew moves the cam forward or back but does not turn the cam. The outerend of the screw 6 is provided with a handle 9, by which it may beturned. If the screw is turned forward from neutral position, the camengages with the top and bottom of the recess and spreads the portionsof the last as shown in Figure 2. If the screw is turned rearward fromneutral position, the cam engages the top and bottom portions of thelast and spreads it as shown in Figure 3.

:As shown in Figure 2, the sections, 2 and 3 swing togetheraround thehinge joint I0. As shown in Figure3, section. 2 remains stationary andsection 3 swings around the hinge joint H. In the position shown inFigure 2, the shoe is 5 stretched asa Whole around the instep.

As shown in Figure 3,.the shoe is stretched with reference to the strapthat is frequently used around the instep of, a ladys shoe. The sleeve 5is held .in position by a stud 13 that goes laterally through the rearof the last and engages with a slot cut in 2. lug formed on the sleeve.This slotted engagement between the sleeve and the stud permits thesleeve to adjust itself to the best advantage with reference to theengagement of 15 the parts, so that the screw works easily in the sleevein being adjusted to any position.

It will be seen that the bottom portion of the last is cut away the mostat the neutral point [4, from which an inclined surface rises in bothdirections, forward and back. The upper portion of the last 3 is cutaway on the under side with a surface l5 that is almost parallel withthe bottom of the section 3" for a short distance beyond which thesurface slopes downwardly to form a earn it. The section 2 is cut awayon the under side to form an inclined surface I1 which acts as a camthat engages with the cam I that is moved by the screw.

In Figure 4 I have shown a last with two sections, the forward sectionbeing indicated by 30 and the rear section by 3|. The section 3 3 isprovided with a metal plate 32, and the section 3! is provided with ametal plate 33. Each of these plates is threaded with a female thread inwhich engages the male threads of the screw 34 that is turned by thehandle 35. The screw 34 has a neutral zone 36, and on the forward endthe male thread is a right hand thread and the thread at the rear ofthis zone is a. left hand thread. The plates 32 and 33 are threaded tocorrespond, so that after the last is in place in the shoe and theportions of the last are held in line with each other by the screw, theturning of the screw in one direction will cause the portions of thelast to separate lengthwise stretching the shoe lengthwise. The turningof the screw in the opposite direction will bring the sections 'of thelast together so that they will be released from the shoe, permittingthe removal of the last therefrom.

I claim:

1. In a shoe stretcher, the combination of a bottom section having asleeve mounted to swing on a horizontal axis therein, said sleeve havinga female thread therein, a stem having a male thread thereon engagingwith said sleeve, a Wedge-shaped cam swiveled on the end of said stem,an upper section hinged at its forward end to the bottomsection andadapted to swing thereon, said wedge-shaped cam being adapted to engagebetween the two sections and push the rear end of the upper section awayfrom the bottom section only upon the forward movement of said stem,said upper section extending rearwardly over the lower section and overthe sleeve, and being recessed to receive the sleeve thereon.

2. In a shoe stretcher, the combination of a bottom section having asleeve mounted to swing on a horizontal axis therein, a stem threaded insaid sleeve, an upper section hinged at its forward end to the bottomsection and adapted to swing thereon, means on the end of said stemadapted to engage between the two sections and push the rear end of theupper section away from the bottom section only upon the forwardmovement of said stem, said upper section eX- tending rearwardly overthe lower section and over the sleeve, and being recessed to receive thesleeve thereon.

3. In a shoe stretcher, the combination of a bottom section having asleeve therein, a stem threaded in said sleeve, an upper section hingedat its forward end to the bottom section and adapted to swing thereon, athird section hinged at its forward end to the rear end of the upperently of the upper section. 5

4. In a shoe stretcher, the combination of a bottom section having asleeve mounted to swing on a horizontal axis therein, a stem threaded insaid sleeve, an upper section hinged at its forward end to the bottomsection and adapted to swing thereon, means on the end of said stemadapted to engage between the two sections, said sections being cut awaywith grooves adapted to receive said means when in neutral position,said means being adapted to lift the rear end of the upper section onlywhen moved forward from neutral position.

5. In a shoe stretcher, the combination of a bottom section having asleeve therein, a stem threaded in said sleeve, an upper section hingedat its forward end to the bottom section and adapted to swing thereon, athird section hinged to the rear end of the upper section, means on theend of said stem adapted to engage between the two sections, saidsections being cut away with grooves adapted to receive said means whenin neutral position, said means being adapted to lift the rear end ofthe third section away from the bottom section when said means is movedrearward from neutral position.

HIMON WEINSTEIN.

